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Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO)

The Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) is the office that handles the dissemination of the Philippine president’s official communications.

It’s also the office that supervises and controls state-owned media and the one responsible for the accreditation and authentication of the credentials of foreign media correspondents.

Executive Order (EO) No. 4, which former President Benigno S. Aquino III signed on July 30, 2010, created the office. The EO renamed the Office of the Press Secretary, redefined its functions, and established an office for Malacañang’s messaging and strategic planning.

For its television division, the PCOO handles the Philippine government’s flagship television network PTV-4 or People's Television Network Incorporated (PTNI), the semi-privatized Radio Philippines Network or RPN 9 where the government still has 20-percent share, and RTV Malacañang, the official YouTube channel of the Office of the President.

Though the Philippine government still owns Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC), the channel is run more like a private corporation; it doesn’t get financial support from the government and relies on broadcast revenues for its operations.

The state run radio station Radyo ng Bayan is also under the PCOO.

In a statement back in June, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said that the current administration would streamline its communication activities. They will rename PCOO to Presidential Communications Office or PCO and merge current offices collectively known as the Communication Group under PCO.